How to Remove Sap from Car

When tree sap gets on your car, it’s a problem.  The time and effort it takes a person to remove the sap from the paint job on their car is tremendous.  However, there is a multiple step process that will allow you to get rid of the sap as long as you are willing to put in a little elbow grease.

Step One

The first approach involves you taking a stirring stick (made of wood and used for paint)--this can be found at any home improvement store.  These stirring sticks are basically flat sticks that can help take off a good majority of the sap, without bringing any harm or damage to the paint job of your vehicle.  The material in these stirring sticks is extremely soft and therefore, will not put too much pressure or scratches on the paint.  However, though they are soft, they are very sturdy and durable around the edges to pick up and scrape off most of the sap on the car.  When scraping, you should try not to exert too much pressure as it may lead to some scratching.  Of course, you cannot be too gentle as you the sap removal process will be unsuccessful.

Step Two

After the big job is done and most of the sap has been removed, you are ready to take off any remaining residue. Do this with a high-intensity chemical such as Goo Gone or Simple Green.  There are a number of sap and tar removers available in stores that are created for this specific scenario, but the above listed cleaners do a much more efficient job and provide less damage to the paint job.  However, this is where a lot more work comes in as more and more pressure needs to be applied when rubbing the remover onto the car.  Make sure it is applied with a clean rag and the car is completely dry before starting.  Simply add the chemical to the cloth and rub as much in as fast as possible.  This will take off the entire residue in no time at all.

Step Three

After you have rubbed and scraped, you will notice the paint in abnormally dry.  This can lead to chipping later on, which is why it is crucial that you follow up the sap removal process with a bit of cleaning wax and apply said wax to all areas where you cleaned.  In most cases the sap usually hits several spots on the roof, so you will have to wax multiple spots.  Taking this into consideration, it is best to just get the entire car waxed because applying it to several small parts is not as efficient and may require more time and attention to detail.  You may want to purchase a cleaner that contains a mild abrasive, which can rid the car of smaller scratches incurred while removing the sap.

Step Four

The final step in the process involves you taking sap off of the windows, which will take no time at all.  You only need to scrape it off in one stroke with the assistance of a razor blade. Voila! Done. Now your car is sap free.

Photo Credits: Jeremy Burgin

This post involves:

clean car, paint job, scratches, tree sap

... and focuses on:

Car Paint, Car Tips

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